Mitundu Yosiyanasiyana ya Zinthu N’njofunika M’moyo

CHA M’MA 1840, anthu a m’dziko la Ireland anaposa 8 miliyoni, motero linali dziko lokhala ndi anthu ochuluka koposa ku Ulaya konse. Mbatata ndizo zinali chakudya chawo, ndipo anthu ankalima mtundu umodzi wokha wofala wa mbatata.

M’chaka cha 1845 alimi anadzala mbatatayi mwa nthaŵi zonse, koma inagwidwa ndi matenda a chiwawu ndipo anawonongeratu pafupifupi mbewu yonse yambatatayi. M’buku lake lakuti The Last Harvest—The Genetic Gamble That Threatens to Destroy American Agriculture, Paul Raeburn analemba kuti, “Anthu ambiri a ku Ireland anapulumuka chaka chamavutochi. Koma chaka chotsatira ndicho chinali changozi. Alimi sakanachitira mwina koma kudzala mtundu womwewo wa mbatata. Analibiretu mitundu ina iliyonse. Ndiye chiwawu chija chinabweranso, ndipo panthaŵiyi chinabwera mwamphamvu zedi. Anthu anavutika mosaneneka.” Olemba mbiri akuti pafupifupi anthu 1 miliyoni anafa ndi njala, ndipo anthu ena okwana miliyoni ndi theka anasamukira kumayiko ena makamaka ku United States. Anthu amene anatsala anavutika ndi umphaŵi wadzaoneni.

M’chigawo cha Andes cha ku South America, alimi anali kudzala mitundu yosiyanasiyana ya mbatata, ndipo mitundu yochepa chabe ndiyo inakhudzidwa ndi chiwawu. Motero analibe vuto loopsa. N’zoonekeratu apa kuti kukhala ndi mitundu yosiyanasiyana yambewu ndiponso mitundu yosiyanasiyana ya m’gulu lomwelo la mbewu kumathandiza. Koma kudzala mbewu yamtundu umodzi wokha sikutero ndipo kungawonongetse mbewu za m’dera lalikulu ngati zitagwidwa ndi matenda kapena tizilombo. N’chifukwa chake alimi ambiri amadalira kwambiri mankhwala ophera tizilombo, oletsa tchire kumera, ndiponso othetsera matenda ena, ngakhale kuti mankhwala otereŵa amawononga chilengedwe.

Nanga n’chifukwa chiyani alimi amadzalabe mtundu umodzi wa mbewu n’kusiya mbewu zawo zamakolo? Nthaŵi zambiri n’chifukwa chofuna ndalama. Akadzala mbewu zamtundu umodzi amaona kuti adzakolola mosavuta, adzakhala ndi zokolola zooneka bwino, zotha kusungika bwino, ndiponso zochuluka. Alimi ambiri anayamba kutero m’ma 1960 pamene kunayamba kumveka zakuti kuli ulimi wamakono.

Ulimi Wamakono

Chifukwa cha ntchito yaikulu yodziŵitsa anthu imene maboma ndi mabungwe ena anali kuchita, alimi a m’mayiko amene mumakonda kuchitika chilala anakopedwa kuti asiye kulima mbewu zawo zamitundumitundu n’kuyamba kulima mbewu zamtundu umodzi, zobereka kwambiri, makamaka za mpunga ndi tirigu. Mbewu “zodabwitsa” zimenezi anazitama kwambiri ponena kuti ndizo zithetse vuto lapadziko lonse lanjala. Koma sizinali zotsika mtengo. Mbewu zake n’zodula kuŵirikiza katatu kuposa mtengo wake weniweni. Komanso kuti munthu akolole anayenera kugwiritsa ntchito mankhwala, kuphatikizapo feteleza, ndipo pamwamba pa zonsezi pakhalenso zida zamtengo wapatali monga mathilakitale. Komabe mwa chithandizo chaboma, ulimi wamakonowu unafika patali. Raeburn anati: “Ngakhale kuti ulimiwu wapulumutsadi anthu ambiri kunjala, tsopano ukuoneka kuti uchepetsa chakudya padziko lonse.”

Kwenikweni, ulimi wamakonowu n’kutheka kuti wapindulitsa anthu kwakanthaŵi kochepa koma mavuto ake akhala kwa nthaŵi yaitali. Posakhalitsa kulima mbewu zamtundu umodzi kunafala kwambiri m’mayiko osiyanasiyana, ndipo kugwiritsa ntchito kwambiri feteleza kunawonjezera tchire lomera m’minda, ndipo mankhwala ophera tizilombo anapha tizilombo ndiponso tinyama tina topindulitsa paulimi. M’minda ya mpunga, mankhwala apoizoni anapha nsomba, zamoyo zina za m’madzi, nkhanu, achule, zomera zina zodyedwa ndiponso mbewu zina zakutchire. Zambiri mwa zimenezi n’zakuti anthu amadyanso. Komanso chifukwa chogwiragwira mankhwala oopsaŵa alimi ena anadwala nawo.

Mphunzitsi wina wa m’dipatimenti ya sayansi ya zinthu zachilengedwe pa yunivesite ina yotchedwa Open University ku United Kingdom, dzina lake Dr. Mae-Wan Ho, analemba kuti: “Tsopano palibe munthu amene angatsutse kuti ulimi wa mbewu zamtundu umodzi umene unayamba ndi ‘Ulimi Wamakono’ wawononga kwambiri ulimi wa mbewu zamitundumitundu ndiponso wawononga njira yodalirika yopezera chakudya chokwanira padziko lonse.” Malingana ndi zimene linanena bungwe loona za chakudya ndi ulimi la UN Food and Agriculture Organization, akuti mitundu 75 mwa mitundu 100 iliyonse yambewu zosiyanasiyana zimene zinkalimidwa zaka 100 zapitazo inatha, makamaka chifukwa cha ulimi wogwiritsa ntchito makina.

Kabuku kena kofalitsidwa ndi bungwe la Worldwatch Institute kanachenjeza kuti “tikamagwiritsa ntchito mtundu umodzi wokha wa mbewu timapatsa masoka ambiri ku mitundu ina yonse ya zachilengedwe za m’deralo.” Kodi masoka ameneŵa n’kuwaletsa bwanji? M’pofunika pakhale asayansi ya zaulimi, mankhwala amphamvu komanso ndalama zothandizira alimi. Koma ngakhale zimenezi zitapezeka sindiye kuti palibenso vuto. Kulima mbewu zamtundu umodzi kunawonjezera matenda owononga achiwawu m’chimanga cha ku United States ndiponso kunawonongetsa mpunga wokwana theka la maekala miliyoni ku Indonesia. Komabe m’zaka zaposachedwapa, kwayambika ulimi wina wamakono umene umasintha chilengedwe cha mbewu.

Ulimi Wamakono Wosintha Chilengedwe cha Mbewu

Sayansi ya chilengedwe cha zinthu yayambitsa bizinesi yatsopano yopindulitsa kwambiri yophatikiza umisiri wamakono ndi sayansi ya zachilengedwe. Imagwiritsa ntchito umisiriwu kusintha chilengedwe cha zinthu. Ena mwa makampani amene amatero, amangolimbana ndi zaulimi basi ndipo akuyesetsa kwambiri kupanga mbewu zomwe n’zobereka bwino, zotha kupirira matenda, chilala, ndi chisanu, ndiponso zosafunika kuzipopera mankhwala oopsa. Ngati zolinga zimenezi zitakwaniritsidwa, anthu angapindule nazo kwambiri. Koma anthu ena anenapo kuti akuda nkhaŵa ndi mbewu zomwe zasinthidwa.

Buku lakuti Genetic Engineering, Food, and Our Environment linati, “Zinthu za m’chilengedwe zinalengedwa ndi malire ake. Mbewu ya duŵa ingathe kuphatikizidwa ndi mbewu ya duŵa lamtundu wina, koma simungaphatikize mbewu ya duŵa ndi mbewu ya mbatata. . . . Koma paumisiri wosintha chilengedwe, nthaŵi zambiri amatenga mphamvu ya chinthu china chamoyo n’kuiika m’chamoyo chamtundu wina n’cholinga chofuna kusintha chilengedwe chake. Mwachitsanzo angathe kutenga mphamvu inayake ya nsomba ya m’nyanja yozizira kwambiri imene imachititsa kuti isaume chifukwa chozizidwa n’kuiika m’mbatata kapena m’malubeni kuti asamafe ndi kuzizira. Masiku ano n’zotheka kuika m’zinthu zomera mphamvu zotengedwa m’mabakiteriya, mavairasi, tizilombo tina, zinyama, ngakhalenso anthu.”a Kwenikweni, umisiri umenewu umatheketsa kuti anthu alumphe malire a chilengedwe osiyanitsa mitundu ya zinthu.

Mofanana ndi ulimi wamakono, ulimi umene amati ndi ‘ulimi wosintha chilengedwe cha mbewu’ ukudzetsanso vuto la kukhala ndi mtundu umodzi wokha wa mbewu ndipo anthu ena akuti vuto la ulimiwu lachita kunyanya chifukwa asayansi ya zachilengedwe cha zinthu angathe kugwiritsa ntchito maluso ena monga luso lopanga chinthu chachilengedwe chofanana ndendende ndi chinzake ndiponso luso lopanga ziwalo zathupi. Pogwiritsa ntchito maluso onseŵa iwo amatha kupanga zinthu zofanana ndendende. Motero nkhaŵa idakalipo yakuti mwina mitundu yosiyanasiyana ya zinthu zachilengedwe ikutha mwa pang’ono ndi pang’ono. Komabe, kusintha chilengedwe cha zomera kukubutsa nkhani zina, monga mmene zomera zosinthidwazi zingakhudzire ifeyo ndiponso chilengedwe. Wolemba zasayansi wina Jeremy Rifkin ananena kuti: “Tikupupuluma m’chimbulimbuli mwa kuwanditsa ulimi watsopano wogwiritsa ntchito sayansi yaumisiri wa zachilengedwe. Tikuyembekezera kuti utipindulitsa kwambiri, sitikuopa chilichonse, ndipo sitikudziŵa kuti ulimiwu ungadzetse mavuto otani.”b

Komabe kutha kusintha chilengedwe cha mbewu kungapezetse ndalama zambiri, motero makampani akupikisana kuti apange mbewu zatsopano ndiponso zinthu zina. Tikunena pano, mbewu zikupitirizabe kusoŵa kwambiri. Monga tanenera poyamba paja, pofuna kupeŵa zoopsa m’tsogolomu, maboma ndiponso mabungwe ena akhazikitsa nkhokwe zosungira mbewu. Kodi nkhokwe zimenezi zithandiza kuti m’tsogolomu anthu adzathe kulima ndi kukolola mitundu yosiyanasiyana ya mbewu?

Kodi Nkhokwe Zosungira Mbewu Zingathandize Kuti Mbewuzi Zisasoŵeretu?

Bungwe lolima maluŵa la Royal Botanic Gardens ku Kew, m’dziko la England, layamba ntchito imene ilo linati ndi “imodzi mwa ntchito zazikulu kwambiri zoteteza zachilengedwe padziko lonse, imene akuitcha kuti Millennium Seed Bank Project. Zolinga zazikulu za ntchitoyi ndi izi: (1) kusonkhanitsa ndi kusunga 10 peresenti kapena kuti mitundu yoposa 24,000 ya mbewu zapadziko lonse zamaluŵa okhala ndi njere, chisanafike chaka cha 2010 ndipo (2) chakachi chisanayandikire likhale litasonkhanitsa ndi kusunga mbewu zonse zamaluŵa a ku United Kingdom okhala ndi njere. Mayiko enanso akhazikitsa nkhokwe zosungira mbewuzo.

Katswiri wina wa sayansi ya zachilengedwe, John Tuxill ananena kuti pafupifupi 90 peresenti ya mbewu mamiliyoni ambiri zosungidwa m’nkhokwe za mbewu n’zodyedwa ndiponso n’zofunika kwambiri, monga tirigu, mpunga, chimanga, mcheŵere, mbatata, anyezi, adyo, nzimbe, thonje, nyemba za soya, ndiponso nyemba zamitundu ina, kungotchulapo zochepa chabe. Komatu mbewu zimangokhala zamphamvu kwa nthaŵi inayake yokha kenaka sizimeranso. Choncho kodi nkhokwe zosungira mbewuzi n’zodalirika motani?

Mavuto a Nkhokwezi

Nkhokwe zosungira mbewu zimadya ndalama zambiri kuti zizigwira ntchito. Tuxill anati pachaka chimodzi zimadya ndalama zokwana madola 300 miliyoni. Komabe, iye anati ndalama zimenezi n’zochepa, chifukwa chakuti mbewu zosinthidwazo zokwana 13 peresenti zokha zosungidwa m’nkhokwezi ndizo zili m’nkhokwe zosamalidwa bwino zotha kusunga mbewu kwa nthaŵi yaitali.” Chifukwa chakuti mbewu zosasungidwa bwino sizichedwa kufa, ziyenera kudzalidwa mwamsanga, kuti zidzathe kubala mbewu zina, apo ayi nkhokwe za mbewuzi zisanduka malo osungirako mbewu zakufa. Inde, ntchito imeneyi n’njolira anthu ambiri zimene zimangochulukitsa vuto lina pa vuto limene lilipo kale la zachuma.

Buku lakuti Seeds of Change—The Living Treasure limalongosola kuti bungwe lina losunga mbewu la National Seed Storage Laboratory, ku Colorado, U.S.A., “lapeza mavuto osiyanasiyana, kuphatikizapo kuzima kwa magetsi, kuwonongeka kwa mafiriji, ndiponso kuchepa kwa antchito zimene zachititsa kuti milu yambiri zedi yambewu asailongedze bwinobwino.” Nkhokwezi zimakhudzidwanso ndi mavuto a zandale, chuma, ndiponso masoka achilengedwe.

Kusunga mbewu kwazaka zambiri kumabweretsanso mavuto ena. Mbewu zimatha kupirira kwambiri zikamera mwachilengedwe, ndipo zimenezi zimachititsa kuti zisafe ndi matenda ndiponso zovuta zina. Koma zikakhala mosungidwa m’nkhokwe zotetezedwa, zimayamba kufooka pakatha zaka zingapo. Komabe mbewu za zomera zambiri zimatha kukhala kwa zaka zambiri zedi zisanafunikire kudzalidwanso. Pamwamba pazovuta zimenezi, chifukwa chokhacho chakuti kuli nkhokwe zosungira mbewu chikusonyeza kuti anthu ambiri akuda nkhaŵa akamaganizira za tsogolo la mbewu zimene anthu amadya.

Inde, njira yabwino kwambiri yochepetsera kusoŵa kwa mbewu ndiyo kuteteza malo omwe zimapezeka ndi kuchulukitsa mitundu ya mbewuzo. Koma kuti zimenezi zichitike, Tuxill anati tiyenera “kuyambanso kulinganiza zofuna zathu komanso zofuna zachilengedwe.” Koma kodi n’zomveka kuti anthu “angayambenso kulinganiza” zofuna zawo ndi zachilengedwe kwinaku akulimbana n’kuti atukuke pankhani zamaindasitale ndi zachuma? Monga mmene taonera, uliminso auloŵetsa kwambiri m’zaumisiri wapamwamba zedi wobwera chifukwa chofuna ndalama pochita malonda opindulitsa kwambiri. Payenera kukhala njira ina basi.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Bokosi/Chithunzi patsamba 7]

Kodi Alimi Ayamba Kusoŵa?

“Kuyambira m’chaka cha 1950, anthu ogwira ntchito zaulimi akhala akuchepa m’mayiko onse otukuka, ndipo m’madera ena mpaka achepa ndi 80 peresenti,” inatero magazini yotchedwa World Watch. Mwachitsanzo, ku United States tsopano kuli alimi ochepa poyerekezera ndi akaidi. Kodi n’chiyani chikuthaŵitsa anthu kuminda?

Zifukwa zikuluzikulu ndizo kuchepa kwa phindu limene amapeza, kukwera kwangongole zochitira ulimi, kukula kwa umphaŵi ndiponso kuchuluka kwa makina. M’chaka cha 1910, alimi a ku United States ankapeza pafupifupi phindu landalama zokwana masenti 40 pa dola iliyonse imene anthu ankagulira chakudya, koma pofika chaka cha 1997, alimi ankangopeza masenti 7 okha basi. Magazini ya World Watch inati alimi a tirigu “akupeza masenti 6 okha basi pa dola iliyonse imene anthu amagulira buledi m’modzi yekha.” Zimenezi zikutanthauza kuti anthu akagula buledi m’modzi, pepala la bulediyo palokha amaligula pamtengo umenenso agulira tirigu wa mlimiyo. M’mayiko osauka, alimi ndiye siziwayendera n’komwe. Ku Australia kapena ku Ulaya mlimi angathe kubwereka ndalama ku banki kuti zimuthandize chaka chimene sanakolole bwino; komatu mlimi wa ku West Africa zinthu zikatere ndiye kuti zonse zathera pomwepo. Mwinanso angathe kufa nayo njala.

[Zithunzi patsamba 7]

“Ulimi wa mbewu zamtundu umodzi umene unayamba ndi ‘Ulimi Wamakono’ wawononga kwambiri ulimi wa mbewu zamitundumitundu ndiponso wawononga njira yodalirika yopezera chakudya chokwanira padziko lonse,” anatero Dr. Mae-Wan Ho

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Chithunzi chachikulu: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Centro Internacional de Megoramiento de Maiz y Trigo (CIMMYT)

[Zithunzi patsamba 8]

Nkhokwe yotchedwa Millennium Seed Bank, ku England, ikusunga mbewu zofunika kwambiri

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

©Trustees of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew